Governor of Spandau: Hess deserved to die in prison

The British Government argued for more than 30 years that Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, should be freed from prison, according to files released today.

Papers in the National Archives show that the British made 11 unilateral appeals and the Americans and French joined with them in nine more, but the Soviets refused to agree.

The last British governor of Spandau prison, Tony Le Tissier, told the Today programme that while he did not want vengeance, it was right that he stayed there until his death in 1987. He was the last prisoner in the jail.